Arensman knows the pitfalls of a Grand Tour final week: 'Hoping for the best legs of my life'

Thymen Arensman has finally shaken off his opening-week curse in this Giro d’Italia. After two weeks of racing, the Dutchman of Netcompany INEOS is therefore in an excellent fourth place, right in the fight for the podium spots. One tough week still lies ahead. Could this finally be the year we see the team leader on the podium of a Grand Tour?

In three of his previous Grand Tours, Arensman finished in the top ten. Where was he after two weeks in those races? In the Vuelta a España in 2022, he climbed to stage victory on the penultimate Sunday in Sierra Nevada, rising to eighth overall, five minutes off the podium. In the Giro of 2023, he was ninth after 15 stages, and a year later he was sixth.

So he has never started a Giro this well. Has he finally found the right recipe? "It is very tough to ride GC and have to be switched on every single day," Arensman told Cyclingnews. "But I have to say that my team and my teammates are doing a great job for me. They keep me as fresh and motivated as possible. I really can’t complain, and I’m very happy with how things are going."

In the tough 14th stage, the Dutchman was outpaced by Felix Gall, but he is far from unhappy with his performance on Saturday. "I think I did well, because I did my best and went as fast as possible. And in that heat it is hard to race. With all the bottles and extra nutrition I got from my team and teammates, I was able to put in my best possible performance. I’d say it was actually pretty good."

The final week of the Giro d’Italia still has three proper mountain stages. The first comes on Tuesday, with a summit finish in Swiss Carì. After that, everyone is looking ahead to the Dolomites, with the punishing 19th stage over, among other climbs, the Passo Giau, the highest point of the race. One day later everything must be decided on Piancavallo.

Arensman is as ready as he can be for those stages. His preparation will not be the issue. "I reconned stages 19 and 20 after the Tour of the Alps, and they are really tough stages. It is hard to predict what will happen in the third week. I feel the body and my legs. The human body is remarkable, and it can respond differently every day."

With such a brutal final week, anything can happen. Arensman has to look ahead, but also behind him: there are still plenty of riders fighting for the podium. "We have already seen a lot of changes, so honestly I can only try everything I can. I have to stick to my routines to perform as well as possible. I have to be ready for anything in those two stages, and I have to hope for the best legs of my life."

In his hunt for a podium place, the Dutch leader can count on a strong Netcompany INEOS squad. In the mountains, Embret Svestad-Bardseng has been hugely valuable, while Jack Haig, third in the 2021 Vuelta a España, is trying to use his experience in support. And then there is Egan Bernal, who is gradually setting aside his shared leadership ambitions for the benefit of his team-mate.

The Colombian, winner of the 2021 Giro, commands huge respect from Arensman, who knows he can use that in the final week. "Egan is a great champion, on and off the bike. I can learn a lot from him. Of course he is tired too, and like everyone he has some aches and pains, but you never hear him complain. He just keeps going, makes a joke and stays positive. That is important in such a tough and demanding Giro, I think."